Results 14,561-14,580 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The purpose of the Special Education Home Tuition Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as a significant medical illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme also provides a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs seeking an educational placement and provision is made for early...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Provision (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children with Special Educational Needs who are seeking an educational placement, either in a special school, a special class, including an early intervention class within a mainstream school, or a mainstream class. In the event that no such placement is available, home tuition can be provided...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Examinations (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: Higher Education Institutions are autonomous institutions with responsibility for their own academic affairs. My Department does not have any function in relation to the conduct of examinations and assessments, decisions concerning examination results or the processing of appeals in Higher Education Institutions. However, I am aware that all Institutions have their own...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Relations (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I note the decision made by the members of ASTI to reject the proposals put forward aimed at resolving their dispute and in consequence, to reject the Lansdowne Road Agreement. It is regrettable that many ASTI members will now suffer permanent financial losses and loss of other benefits as a result of this choice. The proposals represented the final outcome of the process and there will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The State Examinations Commission is responsible for the administration of the Final Examinations that form part of the assessment procedures for Junior Cycle. The SEC has provided reassurance in relation to concerns that some Junior Cycle students may not have opportunities to complete all elements of the SEC’s Junior Cycle Final Examination, in English, in 2017. The Examination...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 108 together. Through comparing education internationally, it has been found that in high performing education systems such as New Zealand, Queensland, Estonia and Finland, schools have been given greater autonomy and flexibility in the programmes they offer. When schools in Ireland are implementing the new Framework for Junior Cycle, they too will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 98 together. The Deputy will be aware that I announced last week new plans aimed at providing more multi-denominational and non-denominational schools across the country, in line with the choices of families and school communities and the Programme for Government commitment in this area. This will involve the Education and Training Boards in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 100 together. Community National Schools were introduced in 2008 in response to the increasing demand for parental choice in the patronage of primary schools. The schools are multi-denominational, and they allow for belief nurturing during the school day. The Community National School (CNS) model was initially piloted in two schools. Since then...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Religious Discrimination (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that there are no cases before the courts, equality tribunal, workplace relations commission or other such body in which my Department is the respondent in relation to discriminatory action or victimisation on grounds of religious belief. The Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are separate, independent and autonomous bodies which are set up...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department considers it important that the supply of teachers with the required qualifications should meet demand at both primary and post primary levels, including teachers qualified to teach through Irish. Accordingly, my Department asked the Teaching Council to consider the matter of teacher supply with a view to developing better forecasting methods to ensure an adequate supply of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of a Category 5 application for toilet replacement works under the Summer Works Scheme (2016-2017) from the school to which she refers. Nearly 50% of schools have applied for inclusion under the scheme which reflects a very high demand. Details of successful school applicants in respect of Categories 1 and 2 were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Digital Strategy for Schools (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: Under the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 Enhancing Teaching Learning and Assessment, €210m was committed to fund ICT Infrastructure for schools over the period of the Strategy. For the 2016-2017, some €30m was allocated and is now being distributed to eligible schools. The amounts to be paid per school are based on the number of qualifying students enrolled...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department refused grant to the school in question as it considers that the school has sufficient essential classroom accommodation to meet its current needs.  The school's application was considered in the context of the very significant challenges facing my Department in prioritising available capital funding for essential mainstream...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Relations Contracts Data (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The information sought by the Deputy in relation to expenditure by my Department is not readily available. I will arrange to have the material compiled and forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available. The information requested by the Deputy in respect of agencies is not held centrally by the  Department. The awarding of contracts, the expenditure incurred, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a site has been identified to accommodate a permanent school building for the school to which he refers and that the acquisition of this site is at an advanced stage. Unfortunately, as the Deputy may be aware, commercial sensitivities apply to property acquisitions generally and I am not in a position to provide further details at this time...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: As I outlined to the Deputy in my response to Parliamentary Question No. 94 of 18 January 2017, the school in question applied for funding under my Department’s Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for extensive works to the roof of its building. A project of this scale is outside the Terms and Conditions of the EWS Scheme. It remains my Department' s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme Data (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: In my response to Parliamentary Question 69 of 3 November 2016 from the Deputy I set out the position in relation to contributions made by religious congregations towards the costs of redress. As I explained in that reply contributions are being made under the binding 2002 Indemnity Agreement and under voluntary offers made in 2009 in the aftermath of the publication of the Report of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The staffing arrangements at both primary and post primary level for the 2017/18 school year are currently being finalized and will be published on the Department website in the next few weeks. Staffing schedules...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme (2019-2021). My Department is aware of the school's accommodation needs and will be liaising with the school in due course in the context of the proposed project.